The WFI selected May 7 as the election date before it was suspended by the sports ministry.
Digital Desk: After several delays, the much-awaited Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections are set to take place on August 7, sources in the IOA ad-hoc panel said on Wednesday.
Originally set to take place on July 11, the WFI elections were postponed by the Gauhati High Court in response to the Assam Wrestling Association's (AWA) petition for the right to vote.
Following the Supreme Court's Tuesday stay of the Gauhati High Court's judgement, the obstacle was removed.
Despite the national federation's Executive Committee's recommendation on November 15, 2014, the Assam association was denied recognition. The Assam association had argued that it was entitled to be an associated member of the WFI with voting rights.
"The discussions took place today. Five disputed state entities are still a topic of discussion. A definitive list of the electoral college cannot be created until that problem is resolved. But most likely, the elections will go place on August 7," a source familiar with the situation stated.
The disaffiliated units from Maharashtra, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan have moved the ad hoc panel, alleging that they are qualified to nominate candidates for the electoral college and have the right to take part in WFI elections.
On June 25, the last day to submit names for the electoral college, the Gauhati High Court suspended the voting.
The WFI selected May 7 as the election date before it was suspended by the sports ministry.
Following the ministry's decision to create an oversight committee to look into the claims of sexual harassment of female wrestlers by national body president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the sports ministry has ordered the WFI to immediately cease all of its ongoing activities.
After meeting with protesting wrestlers, sports minister Anurag Thakur stated that the WFI elections would go place by June 30.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) then said that while the returning officer had originally set the election for July 4, it will now take place on July 6.
The returning officer was compelled to arrange the new election for July 11 to avoid further postponement after five state organisations that are not linked with the federal government asserted their eligibility to vote.
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